Azam coach plots Yanga ambush

Dar es Salaam. Azam FC assistant coach Dennis Kitambi says he knows Saturday’s Mainland Premier League match against high-flying Young Africans will be tough, but he is confident the ice cream makers will win.

With both sides having made a habit of flooring their respective oppoennts almost at will this season, Kitambi believes the clash to be held at the National Stadium should prove pivotal in the league title race.

“It’s one of those games you look forward to playing, especially at the National Stadium,” said Kitambi yesterday.

He added: “Yanga are a strong team and it’s going to be crucial to beat them as far as the title is concerned.

“The league is the big one for us, we want to be champions of Tanzania Mainland and to get back in the CAF Champions League.”

Defending champions Yanga and Azam tie on 46 points, but the Jangwani street boys are at the top of the league on goal difference.

They have scored 35 goals in as many matches against their nearest challengers’ 23.

“We want to underline our quest for the league title by silencing Yanga on Saturday. We have what it takes to do so,” insisted Kitambi.

According to Kitambi, the reigning Cecafa Kagame Cup champions will leave for South Africa early next week for a series of international friendly matches.

While in South Africa, the coach said, Azam will play at least three matches against top teams. He fell short of naming them.

He said the team’s technical bench has addressed the weaknesses it noted during their match against Tanzania Prisons.

“We dropped two vital points in our draw with Prisons. We want to regain our winning run at the expense of title rivals- Yanga)” he said.

But they will unfortunate not to have on board three key players. Kitambi named them as Abdallah Kheri, Aggrey Morris and Erasto Nyoni. Morris is still nursing a knee injury he sustained last week.

who are injured and Erasto Nyoni who is in suspension. “We have option in our squad, we have group of players and not individual we expect to show our tactical and techniques in the game in order to win,” he said. Young Africans head coach, Hans Van Pluijm was not ready to comment tactically and technically ahead of the match. “We are in Pemba, I can say that we are ready for the match, if you want to know more about us, please let’s talk after the match or next Monday,” said Pluijm.

In the Tanzania mainlan first round match, the two teams draw 1-1 where by Donald Ngoma scored for Young African and Kipre Tchetche equalized in the late minutes. Also the team drew 1-1 in the Mapinduzi cup as Tchetche scored before Vincent Bossou equalizing in the second half.